Politics

Tinubu’s $460,000 US Tax: APC, PDP Campaigns In Verbal War

Published

3 years ago

November 11, 2022

The All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Councils, PCCs, were at each other’s jugular yesterday, over the $460,000 deducted from the accounts of the APC Presidential flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the United States of America, U.S.

The Chief Spokesman of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Festus Keyamo said that the $460,000 was tax deducted from one of the 10 accounts linked to Tinubu and pooh-poohed the documents he attributed to the PDP, which are circulating in the social media, which accused Tinubu of drug deals while he lived in the US.

However, the PDP insisted that Tinubu has a lot of explanations to do and dismissed what it described as Keyamo’s “spirited attempts” to deflect attention from his principal’s questionable past.

$460,000 deducted was for tax on Tinubu’s investments – KEYAMO

Keyamo said $460,000 was deducted from one of the 10 accounts linked to the APC presidential candidate as tax on investment domiciled in US banks, while he lived in America in the 1990s.

Keyamo, who spoke on Channels’ Television’s ”Today Politics” programme on Wednesday night, insisted that there was no criminal indictment or conviction against Tinubu, alleging that the opposition PDP was behind the reincarnation of the controversial court document.

“His (Tinubu’s) detractors kept bringing up these issues over and over whenever his political profile is rising. Whenever he wants to run for office or any political turn in his life, they will bring up these issues,” Keyamo said.

“The date on the papers flying up and down, the date of certification is 2022, so they are using this to confuse people that these are fresh papers.

”If documents are 40 years old or 100 years old, once you go to court, and apply for certified true copies of those documents, they will give you those documents but they will stamp the day they are giving you those documents.

“This is what our detractors, the PDP, perhaps, that is what they went to the US for when they pretended that they went for high-level engagement. This is part of the high-level engagement they went for.”

Keyamo also said although 10 accounts were linked to Tinubu by United States authorities in the early 90s, $460,000 were deducted from one of the accounts as tax on investments domiciled in US banks.

He was reacting to the controversy surrounding a document recently released by the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said to have investigated Tinubu’s alleged involvement in narcotics and money laundering about 30 years ago.

The matter, which ended in a settlement, led to Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 in one of the accounts linked to the former governor of Lagos State.

Keyamo said Tinubu took responsibility for all the 10 accounts because some were also traced to his mother and “relatives.”

He also said Tinubu was roped into the drug trafficking case of two Nigerians, who once stayed in separate flats in the same building where the ex-governor stayed at a time in the US.

“He, Asiwaju, went to open an account, the address by which he opened the account was already used by these people…investigated for narcotics,” he said.

‘Not a deliberate act’

Keyamo further stated that Tinubu was an employee of Mobil Oil and not a treasurer of a drug cartel.

He explained that Tinubu deposited some funds in bank accounts in the US as investments and got returns on those investments.

The spokesman said the banks were supposed to deduct taxes from the investments but they did not and this was not a “deliberate act” on the part of Tinubu.

“The deposits he made there (in banks) are what bankers called investments; he kept the money there and he was getting interests.

”They (the US government) said he had not paid tax on those interests. That is all. And guess what? The banks are supposed to deduct the tax from source.

“Out of the 10 accounts, it was only one account – the one in Heritage Bank – that they took $460,000 as tax on interest that he benefited on the investment he made in those accounts.

“In fact, all the money in Heritage Bank was not taken; they took only $460,000 as tax,” said Keyamo, who is also the Minister of State, Labour and Employment.

Tinubu has questions to answer over forfeiture, PDP insists

However, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, said in a telephone interview with Vanguard, in response to Keyamo’s allegations that the PDP exhumed documents in a vain attempt to make Tinubu appear guilty of a crime for forfeiting US$460,000 believed to be proceeds of illicit drugs trade that, “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t be responding to Keyamo or the APC on this issue but Nigerians deserve to know the truth about people, who are seeking for public office.

“In this case, not just public office but also the highest office in the land. It is a basic principle in law that ‘He who must come to equity must do so with clean hands.’

“What Nigerians are saying is that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu should come clean of these allegations.

“If one may ask Keyamo, who by the way is a lawyer, what does forfeiture mean? A simple dictionary definition of forfeiture means: ‘loss or giving up of something as a penalty for wrongdoing.‘ simply put, You don’t forfeit if no offence was committed.

“Tinubu and the APC should stop trying to make the PDP a scapegoat. They should speak on the issues.

“I’m glad Keyamo did not say PDP manufactured the documents, he said the documents were ‘exhumed,’ which means, they exist.

“Nigerians deserve answers and we hope the APC and its presidential candidate are ready with the answers because these issues will not simply disappear.

“For us in the PDP, we are ready for the task ahead, that is why we have been campaigning, selling our candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who need little or no introduction.

“Nigerians deserve the best and our candidates stand head above shoulders in comparison to the others; that is why they deserve the votes of Nigerians in February, 2023.”
VANGUARD

Politics

Marafa’s Loyalists Quit APC, Cite Neglect Of Zamfara

Published

13 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

Supporters of former Zamfara Central Senator, Kabiru Marafa, have announced their resignation from the All Progressives Congress, citing what they described as injustice, marginalisation and deliberate neglect of the state by the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The group, operating under the aegis of the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, met in Kaduna on Wednesday and Thursday, August 27 and 28, 2025, to deliberate on the worsening political, security and developmental situation in the state.

At the end of the meeting, the forum issued a communique signed by its chairman, Bashir Mafara, secretary Mannir Tsafe, and seven others, formally announcing their exit from the APC.

The communique partly read, “After broad consultations and critical review of the prevailing circumstances, the political structure of Distinguished Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa OFR, CON across the 147 wards in Zamfara State unanimously resolved as follows:

“The entire structure with all its supporters hereby formally resigns from the All Progressives Congress in protest against the sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people.

“That we shall, in due course, announce our next political direction, guided by the collective interest of the good people of Zamfara State.”

The group expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the state, pointing to official data and community reports on rising kidnappings and killings.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, hasn’t been able to address the persistent and senseless kidnappings and killings of innocent citizens in Zamfara State, despite the explicit promises made during the 2023 presidential campaign.

“The situation continues to worsen, leaving communities devastated and hopeless,” they said.

The group claimed that reports indicate that out of the 4,722 people kidnapped over one year in Nigeria in 2024, 1,203 are from Zamfara State, followed by Kaduna State with 629.

It added that the Zamfara Circle Community Initiatives reported that 25 villages suffered attacks in one week after the just concluded by-election, with 145 people kidnapped and 21 killed.

The senator’s loyalists also accused the government of politicising insecurity for electoral gains.

On the alleged marginalisation of Zamfara in political appointments and projects, the communique added, “Despite the fact that Zamfara State was one of only two states in the entire North-West geopolitical zone that delivered victory to President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election spearheaded by Distinguished Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa OFR, CON as State Coordinator which the President himself categorically acknowledged during his speech shortly after his declaration as the winner of the 2023 election by INEC, the state has been sidelined in all facets of human developments including protection of lives and properties, infrastructural developments as well as fair representation in political appointments.

“The state was given only a Minister of State, while most states in the Northwest got two slots.

“But more unfair is the allocation given to the Southwest that corners the entire financial sector, with some states getting multiple ministerial slots and countless agencies.

“For example, Lagos state, where President Tinubu lost the election, has enjoyed overwhelming patronage in terms of appointments and developmental projects, underscoring the deliberate marginalisation of Zamfara state, where Mr. President won.”

The forum concluded by accusing the APC leadership of betraying its founding principles of fairness and justice.

“The above actions and omissions negate the fundamental principles of justice, fairness, equity and accountability upon which the APC was founded.

“Conscience demands that genuine progressives must stand for truth and resist injustice, no matter how uncomfortable,” it said.

Politics

Why I’d Choose Tinubu Over Obi – Adeyanju

Published

13 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has explained why he would prefer President Bola Tinubu to Peter Obi if both men were to contest against each other in the 2027 elections.

Adeyanju, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, said his position was not out of loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress, but a reflection of his personal convictions about democracy, tolerance, and political conduct.

“Why would somebody like me support the APC? Support the APC for what? If the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote Tinubu.

“This is because we cannot have a situation where, a man whose supporters cannot tolerate criticism, call people all sorts of names.

“Anybody who does not support their candidate is an enemy of Nigeria. Anybody that does not support the candidate has been paid, has been compromised in supporting the government.”

The activist rejected claims that he was working with the APC to weaken the opposition, insisting that his political interventions had always been consistent and independent.

He recalled that in previous elections he had voted for different candidates across party lines, based on what he described as his personal judgment of their suitability.

“I have never voted for a bad candidate in my view. In 1999, I voted for Obasanjo. In 2011, I voted for Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, I voted for Jonathan again because I couldn’t support Buhari, and in 2023, I voted for Omoyele Sowore,” Adeyanju said.

According to him, his decision to oppose Obi stems largely from his experience with the behaviour of some of Obi’s supporters during the last election.

He alleged that many of them resorted to online attacks and intimidation of those with dissenting views.

“What we are saying is that we must sanitise our polity, that we cannot have a country where people who terrorise others who do not appreciate that people have their rights.

“Look at what they did to Joke Silva during the election. They had artists and Nollywood people supporting them. Nobody terrorised those people.

“But they terrorised that woman, and other people, because she decided to support Tinubu in the last election. People have the right, I have the right.”

Adeyanju stressed that opposition politics in Nigeria could only succeed if there was unity among the major players, warning that a divided front would always favour the APC.

He recalled that he initially found Obi’s candidacy “exciting,” particularly as it represented a chance for the South-East to aspire to the presidency. However, he said his enthusiasm waned as the campaign progressed.

“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me because the South-East has not produced a president since independence,” he said.

Adeyanju noted however, that he couldn’t reconcile with some of the things he observed in the movement.

He further argued that his activism over the years had been about defending democracy and free expression, even at personal cost. He noted that he had faced multiple arrests in the past under different administrations because of his advocacy.

“We have put our lives on the line for this country, for the preservation of democracy, at personal expense of prosecution. What kind of charges have we not faced in this country? At the time, I was almost charged with terrorism. They’ve charged me for all kinds of offences in this country,” he said.

He added that his decision to take a firm stance against Obi should not be mistaken for partisanship, emphasising that he remained committed to issue-based politics.

According to him, he is just expressing his views as a Nigerian. He noted that his opposition to Obi does not mean support for APC.

“Because we cannot have a situation in our country or in our polity where political extremism becomes the order of the day. And Nigerians are living witnesses to the things that eventually happened to the build-up of the last election,” he said.

Politics

Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

Published

2 days ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Governor announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Government House, Benin.

Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.

The statement statement partly reads, “This misadventure is not only reckless but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.

“Edo people are being made to suffer while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.

“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State Government Employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”

The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.

The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.

“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”

The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.

“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all. By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.

“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.

“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.

Efforts to get the government’s response proved futile, as a top official, who pleaded anonymity, said that a response will come on Thursday.